Prep softball: With Pogni at the plate, Tam looks to turn Cuba experience into successful season

THINGS MIGHT BE a little different for the Tam High softball team coming into the 2013 campaign. Last year's pitcher of the year, Kim Scarsella, is playing in college. One of last year's co-coaches, Mike Wills, moved over to the baseball team. The team just returned from spending nine days and playing three games in Cuba as part of an excursion program.

What will be the same for the Red-tailed Hawks this season is that they figure to be toward the top of the MCAL standings and have the league's regular season triple-crown winner, junior Aria Pogni back in the heart of the lineup. Pogni finished last year's romp batting .553 with seven homers and 37 runs batted in.

"Maybe you can plan a goal for the triple crown, but it never really registered it would happen," Pogni said. "I know I can do better than I did last year, my main goal is to do a little bit better than I did last year and I feel like I can do it."

"Aria has big shoes to fill this season, but those shoes are her own," said coach Erin Lawley, who co-coached with Wills last year. "She's an amazing athlete, it's not just her talent that impresses me, but her IQ of the game. She understands situations and what to do, she leads her team vocally and physically and just all-around, she's a leader."

As kind of a theme for the league this season, there isn't necessarily the dominant pitching dynamic among the teams. The MCAL is shaping up to be a more offensive-minded league, fitting with what Tam figures to be like as well. The Hawks also have to put more emphasis on its defense, unable to rely on Scarsella to get everybody out. That means, Pogni, primarily a catcher last season will also see some work in the infield at third and first base.

"This year as a team we have to focus on defense," Pogni said, "Last year no one could hit the ball, even if your defense was bad, Kim would strike everybody out. This year we have to focus on the little things to make us better."

A dream that was more than a decade in the making finally came true for Tam High French teacher and global studies director for the district, Brian Zailian. He started an exchange program for his students to travel to France and vice versa. The idea expanded to other programs, sending students to England, Italy and Tahiti. In 2000 and 2001, students had the chance to go to Cuba and ever since then Zailian wanted to take the Tam baseball and softball teams there as well because of the Cuban culture's fascination with the two sports as well.

"The reason to go is because baseball (and softball) are fun and something we have in common with Cuba, it makes a perfect bridge in our differences," Zailian said. "We start to learn that we like this people and they don't have anything and we have to help them. We learn to empathize with them."

The experience certainly had ripple effects through out the coaches and players that got to go. Seeing that the Cuban teams did not have the proper equipment to play, made an impact on Pogni and the other players of things that they take for granted.

"It was one of the best experiences that I've ever been on, everyone bonded so well," Pogni said. "Everything is so different there, realizing the little things that do matter and that we don't really think about here. Playing against the Cuban teams, they have one bat and they trade off mitts. I left my cleats, sweatshirts, socks, all the stuff they don't have and that we take for granted means so much for them."

The team played three games in Cuba, winning all three and now is ready to get the MCAL season going. The Hawks will get a big test in the opener, hosting Terra Linda on Monday at 4 p.m.

"The difference for us this year is we have to be on on our defense and offense," Pogni said. "We can't make the little errors, everyone has to play spot on. If we want to be the best, we have to play the best."